Today was a tough one!
I’ve been a little exhausted so walking a mile in the hot sun to my pitch was harder than usual, and the guitar felt so heavy! I exchanged a few words with one of the ambassadors on the way and we had a laugh which lifted my spirits, then I pitched up on the corner. A slow start, and then some LOUD roadworks started nearby so I decided to try Market Street, which is in the shade and not too far away. A short walk, then I pitched up there and things were going well until a musician started his set at one of the local bars. He was very good but miked up and playing in the garden so I just couldn’t compete. Hoping that maybe the roadworks had finished, I headed back to the corner on King. Thankfully, they were all done, so I got right into it, playing a bunch of upbeat songs straight away. There were more people than before so I was confident things would go better now. However, the Code Enforcement truck drove right past me and I couldn’t stop thinking about it! It was only a matter of time before he tried to move me on again, and even though I’d done my research, I’m worried that he wouldn’t take kindly to being corrected.
I got into a flow but my energy was sapped, so after 3 hours I decided to head back to Market Street and the shade. I played there for another 45 minutes, playing one woman’s favourite song which always makes my day! Then I was completely done!
It took me a while to get back to the Hoose due to my lagging energy (and a wrong turn), and I had to keep switching the guitar to the opposite hand, but it was a nice walk, and a few people stopped to speak to me about being a street musician. I took a few photos on my journey too, which allowed me to put the guitar down and rest my back for a minute!
When I got back my lovely and thoughtful hubby had some food ready and a hot cup of tea, which was so appreciated. I’d worked right through lunch on only a bowl of cereal, eating a couple of bananas in between songs and drinking almost a gallon of water. We counted the winnings- $65- so I was really happy with that although it wasn’t one of my better days. I recorded it in my book, which I do with all of our donations, and then we got the Hoose prepped to drive to the next destination where we all had a hot shower, emptied the black and grey tanks, then had a well-deserved dinner before bed.
